No longer part of her duties, but Terri Lynn Land at airport for Betty Ford's return

Four years ago as Michigan's secretary of state, Terri Lynn Land was part of the delegation on the Gerald R. Ford Airport greeting the arrival of the president's casket.

Land relinquished those duties to Ruth Johnson on Jan. 1, but she wanted to be at the airport again today when Betty Ford's remains return home to Grand Rapids.

“It's important to Michigan and also to Grand Rapids that now both of the Fords are here,” she said, awaiting the arrival of the jet bringing the Ford family back from California. “It certainly ends this era, and brings full circle the time that the Fords represented our country.”

Land said meeting President Ford changed her life. She was studying to be a teachers as an 18-year-old Hope College student, but switched to political science after working on Ford's 1976 presidential campaign.

“I got to know him and was always so impressed by how he made time for all the volunteers,” she said. “That was a lesson I didn't forget when I entered politics.”

Land said she didn't meet Betty Ford as often, but as a college student was awed that Ford spoke up on behalf of women.

“Remember at the time, we didn't have too many women in office,” she said. “And here she was as first lady, talking about issues that were important to us. And then the way she handled all her struggles, such as her breast cancer, we just admired her so much.”

While private citizen Land won't be formally greeting the family, she was invited to attend Thursday's funeral in East Grand Rapids.